[Mn-at-large] Fwd: NFB President’s Notebook - week of 09/ 10/2018

David Andrews dandrews at visi.com
Tue Sep 11 19:17:20 UTC 2018 

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>President's Notebook
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>National Federation of the Blind
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>Mark A. Riccobono
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><mailto:officeofthepresident at nfb.org>officeofthepresident at nfb.org
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>(410) 659-9314
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>Dear Fellow Federationists,
>
>Meet the Blind Month is quickly headed this way, 
>but we have a lot of exciting happenings around 
>the Federation in the month of September. You 
>will find information below about our work with 
>the Baltimore Orioles. You should know that we 
>will be reaching out to the other major league 
>teams, with the support of the Orioles, to get 
>them to pursue similar activities next year. 
>When we open those doors, we will be working 
>with the state affiliate and local chapter for 
>each team to make sure the local Federation resources are acknowledged.
>
>Some of you have asked about the announcement 
>regarding Lyft’s assistance in getting voters 
>to the polls for Election Day. We do not have 
>all of the logistics worked out with Lyft yet. 
>Please stand by and know that we will push it 
>out to our members as soon as we have the process worked out with Lyft.
>
>Finally, please keep those in the path of 
>Hurricane Florence in your thoughts and prayers. 
>It is likely to disrupt the lives of many of our 
>members in the Carolinas, and we hope that it 
>ends up being nothing more than an 
>inconvenience. If you learn of members who face 
>trouble because of the impact of the storm, please let me know.
>
>
>
>Critical Actions This Week:
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>
>
>Legislative Alert:
>A very important legislative alert was sent 
>yesterday. Please be sure to share the 
>information with all of your members, as well as 
>others that would be willing to contact their 
>representatives. The entire alert is at the 
>bottom of this message, but below are the highlights.
>
>    * The Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act 
> (S. 2559) is sitting idle in the House 
> Judiciary Committee. We need Chairman Goodlatte 
> to discharge this bill and put it on the House suspension calendar for a vote.
>    * The Access Technology Affordability Act 
> (H.R. 1734) has eighty-four cosponsors in the 
> House and twelve in the Senate. We need 
> everyone to check the list and, if their 
> elected representatives have not already signed 
> up as a sponsor of ATAA, to call to urge them to do so.
>
>
>
>
>News:
>
>
>
>Presidential Release:
>The September Presidential Release is available 
>at 
><https://nfb.org/presidential-releases>https://nfb.org/presidential-releases. 
>Of course, it is also available on NFB-NEWSLINE, 
>the NFB mobile app, via podcast, and through the Amazon Echo.
>
>Orioles:
>Next Tuesday, September 18, is National 
>Federation of the Blind Night at Oriole Park at 
>Camden Yards. The jerseys will have 
>“Orioles” and the players’ names in 
>Braille, we will be handing out Braille alphabet 
>cards, and I will be throwing out the first 
>pitch. We have invited many of our partners to 
>join us at the game. Below are two articles about the event.
>
>Baltimore magazine: 
><https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/2018/9/7/os-to-honor-national-federation-of-the-blind-with-braille-jerseys>https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/2018/9/7/os-to-honor-national-federation-of-the-blind-with-braille-jerseys
>Baltimore Sun: 
><http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-blind-20180904-story.html>http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-blind-20180904-story.html
>
>Also, the jerseys will be auctioned after the 
>game from September 18 at 7:00 p.m. until 
>September 25 at 10:00 p.m., with proceeds 
>benefiting the National Federation of the Blind. 
>All jerseys will be authenticated by MLB and 
>autographed. The auction will be taking place at 
><http://orioles.com/auctions>orioles.com/auctions.
>
>
>
>
>Dates to Keep in Mind:
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>
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>    * <https://nfb.org/state-conventions>Fall conventions
>    * October 11-12, 2018: Tactile Graphics Symposium
>
>
>·         November 1, 2018: NFB scholarship application period begins
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>
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>·         November 15, 2018: Dr. Jacob Bolotin 
>Award application period begins
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>    * March 28-29, 2019: Jacobus tenBroek Law Symposium
>    * July 7-12, 2019: NFB National Convention, Las Vegas, Nevada
>
>
>Full Legislative Alert:
>Dear Fellow Federationists:
>
>We are at a critical point with two of our 
>legislative priorities that need your immediate attention.
>
>First, the Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act 
>(S. 2559) is sitting idle in the House Judiciary 
>Committee. We need Chairman Goodlatte to 
>discharge this bill and put it on the House 
>suspension calendar for a vote. The Department 
>of State will not ratify the treaty until the 
>House of Representatives passes this bill and 
>the president signs it into law. This 
>legislation is noncontroversial, supported by 
>all relevant stakeholders, and was passed unanimously by the Senate on June 28.
>
>Please call Chairman Goodlatte at 202-225-5431 
>and urge him to “support blind Americans by 
>putting the Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act, 
>S. 2559, on the House suspension calendar.” 
>Note that Chairman Goodlatte’s email web form 
>blocks any emails from outside his district, so 
>please contact his office via phone.
>Our second topic is the Access Technology 
>Affordability Act (H.R. 1734). We are up to 
>eighty-four cosponsors in the House and twelve 
>in the Senate. Special thanks to the National 
>Federation of the Blind of Illinois. Fourteen 
>House members from Illinois and Senator Tammy 
>Duckworth have cosponsored this legislation.
>You can contact your member of Congress by 
>calling the Capitol Switchboard and asking for 
>the office in question. The number is 
>202-224-3121. If you email your representative, 
>please copy me at <mailto:JPare at nfb.org>JPare at nfb.org.
>
>When you call or email, you might say something like the following:
>“Hello, my name is [your name] and I am a 
>constituent of [your representative]. I live in 
>[city, state]. I am calling to urge [your 
>representative] to cosponsor H.R. 1734, the 
>Access Technology Affordability Act. This bill 
>would increase the availability of access 
>technology, thereby increasing educational and 
>employment opportunities for all blind 
>Americans. The bill does this by creating a tax 
>credit for the purchase of access technology. 
>The National Federation of the Blind has 
>analyzed the cost impact and the bill is either 
>cost neutral or will save the government money. 
>I urge [representative] to cosponsor the bill. Thanks.”
>The eighty-four House cosponsors are listed 
>below in alphabetical order by state. You do not 
>need to contact your representative regarding 
>the Access Technology Affordability Act if he or she is already on this list.
>
>In summary we are asking you to make two calls: 
>one to Chairman Goodlatte regarding the 
>Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act, and a 
>second call to your representative regarding the 
>Access Technology Affordability Act. If you have 
>any questions I can be reached at 410-659-9314, extension 2218.
>
>Thanks,
>John
>
>Access Technology Affordability Act (H.R. 1734) Cosponsors
>Rep. Sewell, Terri A. [D-AL-7]
>Rep. Young, Don [R-AK-At Large]
>Rep. Grijalva, Raul M. [D-AZ-3]
>Rep. O'Halleran, Tom [D-AZ-1]
>Rep. Sinema, Kyrsten [D-AZ-9]
>Rep. Correa, J. Luis [D-CA-46]
>Rep. Denham, Jeff [R-CA-10]
>Rep. Khanna, Ro [D-CA-17]
>Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-19]
>Rep. Napolitano, Grace F. [D-CA-32]
>Rep. Roybal-Allard, Lucille [D-CA-40]
>Rep. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA-28]
>Rep. Takano, Mark [D-CA-41]
>Rep. Torres, Norma J. [D-CA-35]
>Rep. Larson, John B. [D-CT-1]
>Rep. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
>Rep. Bilirakis, Gus M. [R-FL-12]
>Rep. Curbelo, Carlos [R-FL-26]
>Rep. Demings, Val Butler [D-FL-10]
>Rep. Gaetz, Matt [R-FL-1]
>Rep. Hastings, Alcee L. [D-FL-20]
>Rep. Lawson, Al, Jr. [D-FL-5]
>Rep. Mast, Brian J. [R-FL-18]
>Rep. Posey, Bill [R-FL-8]
>Rep. Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana [R-FL-27]
>Rep. Soto, Darren [D-FL-9]
>Rep. Gabbard, Tulsi [D-HI-2]
>Rep. Hanabusa, Colleen [D-HI-1]
>Rep. Bost, Mike [R-IL-12]
>Rep. Bustos, Cheri [D-IL-17]
>Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7]
>Rep. Davis, Rodney [R-IL-13]
>Rep. Foster, Bill [D-IL-11]
>Rep. Gutierrez, Luis V. [D-IL-4]
>Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2]
>Rep. LaHood, Darin [R-IL-18]
>Rep. Lipinski, Daniel [D-IL-3]
>Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5]
>Rep. Roskam, Peter J. [R-IL-6]
>Rep. Rush, Bobby L. [D-IL-1]
>Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9]
>Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott [D-IL-10]
>Rep. Brooks, Susan W. [R-IN-5]
>Rep. Messer, Luke [R-IN-6]
>Rep. Visclosky, Peter J. [D-IN-1]
>Rep. Blum, Rod [R-IA-1]
>Rep. Loebsack, David [D-IA-2]
>Rep. Young, David [R-IA-3]
>Rep. Barr, Andy [R-KY-6]
>Rep. Yarmuth, John A. [D-KY-3]
>Rep. Poliquin, Bruce [R-ME-2]
>Rep. Raskin, Jamie [D-MD-8]
>Rep. Ruppersberger, C. A. Dutch [D-MD-2]
>Rep. Capuano, Michael E. [D-MA-7]
>Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2]
>Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6]
>Rep. Tsongas, Niki [D-MA-3]
>Rep. Kildee, Daniel T. [D-MI-5]
>Rep. Upton, Fred [R-MI-6]
>Rep. Ellison, Keith [D-MN-5]
>Rep. Nolan, Richard M. [D-MN-8]
>Rep. Peterson, Collin C. [D-MN-7]
>Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel [D-MO-5]
>Rep. Kihuen, Ruben J. [D-NV-4]
>Rep. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV-3]
>Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1]
>Rep. Lujan, Ben Ray [D-NM-3]
>Rep. Espaillat, Adriano [D-NY-13]
>Rep. Faso, John J. [R-NY-19]
>Rep. King, Peter T. [R-NY-2]
>Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6]
>Rep. Price, David E. [D-NC-4]
>Rep. Joyce, David P. [R-OH-14]
>Rep. Ryan, Tim [D-OH-13]
>Rep. Stivers, Steve [R-OH-15]
>Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-2]
>Rep. Meehan, Patrick [R-PA-7]
>Rep. Smucker, Lloyd [R-PA-16]
>Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-5]
>Rep. Cicilline, David N. [D-RI-1]
>Rep. Johnson, Eddie Bernice [D-TX-30]
>Rep. O'Rourke, Beto [D-TX-16]
>Rep. Sessions, Pete [R-TX-32]
>Rep. Garrett, Thomas A., Jr. [R-VA-5]
>Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2]
>
>Mark A. Riccobono, President
>200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230
>(410) 659-9314 | 
><mailto:officeofthepresident at nfb.org>officeofthepresident at nfb.org
>
>
><https://nfb.org/>
>National Federation of the Blind
>
>
> 
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>
>The National Federation of the Blind is a 
>community of members and friends who believe in 
>the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. 
>Every day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want.
>
>
>
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